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Friday, April 18, 2008

Friday "mie"-ography



This is Amelia. Amelia Jenks Bloomer.
She was born May 27, 1818 in Homer, NY. Her family did not have much money, ("modest means") and she only received a few years of schooling. When she was 22 years old, she married Dexter Bloomer, a lawyer, who was also part owner of the Seneca Falls County Courier. He was of a Quaker background, and had progressive social principals, and encouraged her to begin writing articles on temperance, and other issues for the newspaper.
When she was 30 she attended the Women's Rights Convention at Seneca Falls. Though she took no part in the proceedings, she did, a few months later, start her own temperance newspaper, called The Lily. It was very successful, and gained a circulation of 4000 within a few years. During this time, Amelia was described as a sternly serious person who lacked any sense of humor. At the prodding of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Amelia began to devote space in The Lily to woman's rights. In 1851, The Lily supported the reform in women's dress, and the article of clothing she championed was named after her, the "Bloomer". It dispensed of the unhealthy corset, in favor of looser clothing. For awhile, everyone, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony also sported "bloomers", but, eventually, the idea was abandoned, even by Amelia herself, who actually opposed them as "inexpedient".
In 1855 she moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and abandoned The Lily. She did continue to work actively in the suffrage movement, by lecturing and writing, and served as president of the state Woman Suffrage Association between 1871-1873. She managed to get Stanton, Anthony, and Lucy Stone to come to Iowa to lecture. Troubled by poor health in the 1870's, she eventually retired into her private life. She died in Council Bluffs in 1894.

5 comments:

Bubblewench said...

Interesting. Neat one.

DaddyKaos said...

So, she is nearby!

mielikki said...

yeah, she is buried somewhere over there, DK. I did not know that when I started this one, either! :)

sybil law said...

Huh!
Bloomers - haha.
Interesting! Never heard of her before this one! Thanks for the edumacation!

holly said...

whoever described her as lacking humor did NOT see this pic. is it just me or does she look like she could just tell you jokes until you cry "STOP STOP STOP IT NOW!!"

no, i was mistaken.

but, you know, yay for all that stuff she did...